From www.useventing.com

The race for the 2009 Adequan USEA Gold Cup continues this weekend at the next event in this prestigious series, Chattahoochee Hills Horse Trials in Fairburn, Georgia.

The CIC2* will serve as the designated "Gold Cup division" and riders will compete for $500 in cash, a trailer-full of prizes, and points on the Gold Cup leaderboard. At the end of the year, the top horse and rider will be crowned Gold Cup champions and take home a check for $10,000 as well as other exciting prizes!

The breath-taking Chattahoochee Hills Horse Trials is a new venue on the Gold Cup calendar this year, and joins seven other paramount events across the country as part of the year-long series.

(Left: The cross-country banks and regal facility await competitors! Photo courtesy of Chattahoochee Hills Eventing.)

Owned by Belgian Olympic three-day rider Carl Bouckaert, this 8,000 acre equestrian paradise features well-established rolling pastures, pristine lakes, and picturesque woodlands that run 12 miles along the Chattahoochee River.

"The USEA is proud to welcome Chattahoochee Hills to the Adequan USEA Gold Cup Series," said USEA CEO Jo Whitehouse. "Having recently visited the facility, I have seen for myself what a beautiful site Chattahoochee Hills is for eventing. This event is a going to be a major destination event for all USEA members in the years ahead. As it continues to grow and fulfill the vision that Carl has planned, it will surely be one of the premier competition sites in the country." 

(Right: Chattahoochee Hills Farm owner Carl Bouckaert and Rampant Lion at the Rolex Kentucky CCI4*. Photo courtesy of Chatthillseventing.com)

Chattahoochee Hills offers several events throughout the year at the state-of-the-art facility, which is conveniently located mere 15 miles away from the Atlanta Airport. "Chat Hills" as it's known to its fans, kicked off their first events last year, offering divisions from Novice through Intermediate. This year, they've included FEI divisions and the CIC2* will the official "Gold Cup" division.

(Left: An competitor enjoys the cross-country course at Chatt Hills last year. Photo courtesy of Chatthillseventing.com)

Well the rain cometh and the rain stayeth! Pine Top's Thanksgiving weekend Horse Trials are over after one of the wettest weekends encountered at the Thomson GA facility. The CC competition got underway an hour later than planned as officials wisely allowed the brunt of the storm to roll though and dump several more inches of rain on the already soaked grounds. Despite many of the Open Prelim riders deciding not to go around the event went ahead with barely an incident. The ground was soft in places but always true.

Mary Bess Sigman along with all riders in the OP division drew some time penalties but held on to win with a final score of 41.7 on Guinness X. In second place was Rachel Jurgens on Ziggy with a final score of 51.2

The end of the Eventing season in Georgia is always marked by the Thanksgiving Pine Top Horse Trials and this year is no exception. By the time riders hit the dressage rings early the rain had soaked everything there was to see and some. That didnt stop many riders posting great scores though.

In JR YR Training for instance there is a tie for the lead with Alison Thomson on Krockraha and Hailey Hughes on Tommy Two both having clear stadium rounds and go to CC tomorrow on their dressage score of 32.1

In Training Rider Melissa McMaster on Flagmounts Star leads on 34.2 and Lauren McDowell leads Open Training with a 28.9 on On the Button.

The end of the Eventing season in Georgia is always marked by the Thanksgiving Pine Top Horse Trials and this year is no exception. With over 150 rides there are plenty of riders looking to finish the year on a good note. As usual the preparation of the location in Thomson Georgia has been first class and the touted "Home of the worlds best horse dirt" will stand up to all weather conditions over the weekend.

We will have a Saturday night report as well as a full report with photos after the last trailer heads home on Sunday. Good Luck to all the riders this Thanksgiving weekend at the Pine Top Horse Trials.

A great and very affordable clinic has been organized to benefit the Area III Adult Riders program in Aiken SC on July 12th-13th 2008. The clinic at Paradise Farm will be conducted by Amy Nichols with Lellie Ward. 

There will be private dressage lessons, small group stadium lessons and small group cross country lessons and for the great price of $165 stabling Saturday night is included (with shavings) and additional nights are $20.

All corners of the equine world were shocked yesterday to hear that Theodore 'Teddy' O Connor was humanely euthanized after a barn accident at David & Karen O'Connor's farm in The Plains VA. Teddy had captured the hearts of not only Eventers but horse lovers all over the world. 

More information can be found on the USEA website .

Phillip Dutton finally got the opportunity to slip on that coveted Rolex watch after winning the Rolex Kentucky Three Day event for the first time this past weekend. Dutton riding Connaught had personally finished second at Rolex an amazing five times before, but with a perfect stadium performance Sunday he and Connaught overtook the early leader Becky Holder finishing on 41.7 penalty points to win the only **** 3 day event in Nth America. Holder on Courageous Comet who received 8 jump penalty points in show jumping  finished in second place on 47.3

Connaught is owned by Bruce Duchossois and had finished second last year with Dutton on board and with this being the horse's fourth start at the event there were many people who thought it was only a matter of time the combination were successful. Dutton also claimed tenth place on another of his favorite horses Woodburn.